This invention pertains generally to guided missiles, and particularly to apparatus for providing for fuzing of the warheads in such missiles.
It is known in the art that an active optical fuzing system may be used to good effect when explosive field of warhead in a guided missile is to be directed toward target. In such a system a number of optical radars, say four, are disposed about the body of a guided missile so that the beam of optical energy emitted by a laser in each one of the optical radars in the optical fuzing system is directed to cover a different portion of a conical coverage pattern. When four optical radars are used, the beam of each optical beam encompasses a different quadrant of the conical coverage pattern. As a result, then, only the optical radar having a beam encompassing the particular quadrant of the conical coverage pattern in which the polar angle associated with a particular target lies may receive an echo signal. The quadrant in which the warhead is to be directed then corresponds with the quadrant covered by the beam of the optical radar receiving an echo signal.
If it is desired to improve on the resolution of a known active optical fuzing system, the number of optical radars used in such a system may be increased. However, such an expedient is not well suited to a practical active optical fuzing system because of the added complexity and cost attendant upon increasing the number of optical radars.